Take Action Today! Connecticut sportsmen should contact their state senator and ask them to vote NO on Senate Bill 109. Connecticut members can find their state senator by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.
In Connecticut, legislation sponsored by Sen. Martin Looney (D-New Haven) would turn a public waterfowl hunting area into a state refuge, where hunting is not permitted. The area affected by Senate Bill 109 is near New Haven, where the Quinnipiac River and the Mill River meet. The area has long been a popular location for waterfowl hunting. On March 7, SB 109 passed the Joint Committee on Environment with a vote of 16 to 14. The bill will now head to the Senate floor for a full vote.
The number-one reason why hunters quit hunting is because of a lack of access to quality hunting areas. According to a 2011 census conducted by the United States Census Bureau, 71 percent of resident sportsmen used only public land to go hunting. Senate Bill 109 will only lower hunter participation, which will result in a decrease in revenue from hunting licenses sold. The money produced from these hunting licenses are essential for the conservation and management of Connecticut’s wildlife.
More important than waterfowl hunting near New Haven, Senate Bill 109 usurps the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and takes decisions about wildlife management into the political realm. This is a precedent that is dangerous for the future of all fish and wildlife management.
“Senate Bill 109 is bad for both sportsmen and Connecticut wildlife management,” said Luke Houghton associate director of state services. “While the loss of a quality hunting opportunity is our initial concern, we are even more concerned that this bill opens the door for regular political intervention into fish and wildlife decision making.”
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.